Tomato plant leaves turning white?

tumbleweed · Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:37 am

Help, why are my tomato plant leaves turning white.
[img]https://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz171/edgroom/IMG_1477.jpg[/img]

johnny123 · Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:36 am

Whai is the high and low temps in a day where they are kept?

tumbleweed · Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:42 am

johnny123 wrote:Whai is the high and low temps in a day where they are kept?

It varies the weather hear has been weird. One day it's 80's next day 50's. I only put them out when it's sunny and above 60.

rainbowgardener · Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:23 am

Bleaching out is most often a sign of too much light/sun. The plant makes chlorophyll (green) to catch the light. If there's too much light, it dumps the chlorophyll.

You started it inside, right? When you started bringing it out, did you get it used to the sunlight gradually? Tomatoes like lots of sun, but tender seedlings have to get used to it first.

tumbleweed · Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:33 am

rainbowgardener wrote:Bleaching out is most often a sign of too much light/sun. The plant makes chlorophyll (green) to catch the light. If there's too much light, it dumps the chlorophyll.

You started it inside, right? When you started bringing it out, did you get it used to the sunlight gradually? Tomatoes like lots of sun, but tender seedlings have to get used to it first.

Actually I leave them out all day when it's sunny, I guess that's my problem, thanks for your help.

rainbowgardener · Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:41 am

It isn't the all day sun, which eventually they will need. It's whether they are adapted to it. You didn't say if the plant was started indoors or how you got it used to being outdoors. But yes, if it isn't well adapted to all that sun, that most likely is the problem.

tumbleweed · Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:48 am

rainbowgardener wrote:It isn't the all day sun, which eventually they will need. It's whether they are adapted to it. You didn't say if the plant was started indoors or how you got it used to being outdoors. But yes, if it isn't well adapted to all that sun, that most likely is the problem.

I started them indoors from seed under light for 15 hours a day, now that it's starting to get sunny and warmer out I leave them out all day and bring them in at night.. I did not put them out gradually, my bad.

rainbowgardener · Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:24 pm

Yes, even though they have lights right over them 15 hrs a day, that is not NEARLY as much light as even a cloudy day outside. So they do need to get used to it gradually. Move them into a part sun location for awhile. They will be all right. The white leaves will never green up again, but the new growth will be fine.

tumbleweed · Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:54 pm

rainbowgardener wrote:Yes, even though they have lights right over them 15 hrs a day, that is not NEARLY as much light as even a cloudy day outside. So they do need to get used to it gradually. Move them into a part sun location for awhile. They will be all right. The white leaves will never green up again, but the new growth will be fine.

Thanks for your help.